#Hal E. Chester

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/3/2022: NIGHT OF THE DEMON/CURSE OF THE DEMON/I'M A BIG FAT IDIOT

I am a living cautionary tale. Don't be like me. When you're trying to watch a new-to-you movie, unless you're really sure of your education, look it up first and make sure you know what the running time is supposed to be. I understood that this movie had been released as both CURSE OF THE DEMON and NIGHT OF THE DEMON, but I'm used to seeing multiple titles on older genre films, and I naively assumed that no one would have dared to chop up a Jacques Tourneur movie for any reason. Shows what I know—turns out I was missing around 10 whole minutes of movie because that's what stupid Prime had to offer me, and I didn't think to look over the merchandise first. The present review was written after a review of both versions, but I still feel the need to confess. And anyway, now you know how film illiterate I am just from the fact that this even happened.

The sad thing is that this isn't even the first time something like this happened to me. In a previous Blogtober season I watched a version of NIGHT OF 1,000 CATS that was scarcely an hour long, which I just assumed might be expected because it's a really lowdown exploitation movie; to be fair, there isn't a normally available complete version of that movie, but I might have just left it off my program if I knew what I was getting into. And then I made the mistake of showing someone what turned out to be a censored version of BAD LIEUTENANT, which I'm still ashamed of, but I just assumed that in the modern era we aren't still circulating Walmart versions of movies outside of, you know, Walmart. (We course-corrected when it suddenly became obvious that something was wrong, but I still feel guilty) In any case, it appears that NIGHT OF THE DEMON (the proper title of the full-length feature) suffered quite a lot regarding what was and was not meant to be in the picture, although I didn't guess it from watching CURSE OF THE DEMON, which I enjoyed on its own terms.

The film, based on "The Casting of the Runes" by renowned medievalist and ghost story scribe M.R. James, concerns skeptical psychologist John Holden (Dana Andrews), who takes up the investigation of a satanic cult after the original researcher dies suspiciously. The only witness to the professor's death also happens to be the only cultist willing to be interviewed, who has fallen catatonic with fright. During a rare lucid moment, he draws a picture of what he allegedly saw: A giant monster that resembles historical descriptions of a "fire demon". Holden and Joanna Harrington (Peggy Cummins), the daughter of the deceased, run up against Mephistophelean cult leader Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis), who puts a curse on Andrews for his troubles. As they quest on, the stubborn sleuths soon succumb to the dread and paranoia sown by the threat that the fire demon is now after Holden.

The film is typical of Tourneur in its expressionistic beauty and haunting atmosphere, which keeps one engrossed even if the heroes are a couple of naive ninnies, with the eminently victimizable Andrews really seeming to ask for it. Everybody knows that the villain is always the best role anyway, and the characterization of Dr. Karswell is a lot of fun. The erudite occultist lives on a lavish estate with his elderly mother (Athene Seyler), where he occasionally (and alarmingly) entertains children as a clown. Despite his superior attitude, he confesses to old Mrs. Karswell that not only does he inflict fear on others—emphasizing to Holden that the mounting dread he feels will be almost as bad as his death at the hands of the demon—but he himself is motivated by fear. When you buy into the lifestyle of devil worship, you live in fear of the devil: "It's part of the price." This adds an unusual dimension to a familiar character who, rather than bragging about his genuinely supernatural abilities, focuses on the natural psychological effects of being cursed. As he remarks casually to Holden, "How can we differentiate between the powers of darkness and the powers of the mind?"

Paranoia, brilliantly realized by cinematographer Ted Sciafe.

And actually, therein lies the central controversy of this troubled production. Producer Hal E. Chester apparently set out to make a garden variety B-movie, often trying to cut corners that earned him the ire of writer (and frequent Hitchcock collaborator) Charles Bennett, Jacques Tourneur, and Dana Andrews. At the same time that Chester tried to cheap out on certain visual effects, he also insisted on displaying the demon in all its handmade glory. For Tourneur and Bennett, this was wholly against the point of the story, which is rather explicitly about the demons of paranoia and superstitious delusion. The wording of Tourneur's protest is salient: "The audience should never have been completely certain of having seen the demon." You have to sympathize with the director and writer, whose material was so undermined by the producer's insistence on special effects to pander to the hoi polloi. But I must admit, I really enjoy the demon. It may be enough to know that it was assembled by George Blackwell, who has credits on no lesser gems than THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES and THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, and Wally Weever, who worked on spectacles ranging from THINGS TO COME to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Accordingly, the creature is wonderfully disgusting and evil, more so the closer up you get. I used to see this thing on beat-up, sunbleached VHS boxes as a kid and wonder what it was really like; the movie seemed so staid and British, could it really have this weird gristly monstrosity in it? The image was often pretty low res, or actually painted, so I thought it was probably created just for merchandising purposes. I was dead wrong. It's really like that, and it's pretty horrifying! I understand the gripe, but I'm glad I wasn't deprived of this special creation.

And, finally, I discovered that the differences between NIGHT and the leaner, meaner CURSE are not as insulting as I feared. The story is essentially the same, but one version is more methodical, while the other is trimmer, and rearranged strategically to give certain plot beats a different punch. It's a neat piece of knifework, not at all a hatchet job, and anybody interested in story editing would have an instructive experience watching them both. Primate that I am, I think I actually prefer CURSE, which snips scenes that I thought dragged, and lends the whole affair a sharper edge. I don't know if I'm supposed to admit that, but I guess I just did!

Another lesson you can learn from this review is that the longer cuts are not always the richest. Another cinema sin I once committed was witlessly showing a friend the extended(est) version of THE PREY, which in its shortest edition is one of my favorite horror movies ever—but with a lengthy softcore sequence directed by a third party stuffed into the middle of it, its hypnotic spell is broken and it turns into a big old slog with points of interest scattered at the beginning and end. At least I can tell you that in my personal estimation, no matter which version of DEMON you watch, you probably won't feel like it was a big mistake.

[dynamofilms]

School for Scoundrels (1960)

6/10

[squirrelfm]

"Sit down. Your generosity is becoming overwhelming as it gets closer to ten o'clock. You're staying with me, Karswell. You've sold your bill of goods too well because I believe you now. I believe that in five minutes something monstrous and horrible is going to happen. And when it does, you're going to be here so that whatever happens to me will happen to you." ~ John Holden

[food4dogs]

Ghost Stories

I used to love ghost stories (we didn't call them "horror" when I was a child) as a young reader and devoured every anthology in our library. Many were stuffed with older Victorian stories, esp. by one author called Montague Rhodes James (usually cited as M.R. James -1862-1936). This Oxford Book is lovely - but inexplicably doesn't have any MR James stories!

Last week, PoodlePa and I watched an old Jacques Tourneur (famous for Cat People) movie: Night of the Demon. Very spooky. But actually not that good. It's not Tourneur's fault - he directed Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins and others very capably, and it's shot cleanly and evocatively. But ... but ... there was an interfering and extremely literal-minded producer (called Hal E. Chester) who insisted on having a model of a demon actually shown in the film; alas, it looks more like a Jim Henson possum puppet. It roundly kills any sense of real creepiness and horror.

This film is based on - you guessed it - a story by M.R. James: Casting the Runes (1911). You can read it here on Project Gutenberg: https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/james-runes/james-runes-00-h.html The story is written in the commonly rather fussy and wordy late Victorian style; but James knew how to build suspense and a sense of dread from very few, small details! Casting the Runes leaves more of an impact (and a delicious tingle of being spooked) than the fancy but out-dated animated sequences (quaintly ridiculous looking to us now) in an otherwise perfectly good B-grade movie.

[bonbonfaboo]

#Repost @tangoineden with @let.repost • • • • • • It's October and it's time to post with my horror sisters for our favorite time of year 🎃 My category is the occult and, considering I've played with a ouija board in my attic on Halloween night, I think I'm qualified 😉 Without further ado, I present some of the weirdest, some of the most evil, and some of the most terrifying scenes in the annals of horror. Yes I'm exaggerating but, regardless, here's my first choice! Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon (1957) is directed by Jacques Tourneur, famous for his pairings with producer Val Lewton for RKO Studios. Dana Andrews, as a parapsychologist, travels to London for a conference and discovers a Satanic cult is behind mysterious supernatural occurrences. There are plenty of fantastic reviews online for this classic film so I'm going to focus on the style of the film and the controversy surrounding the reveal of the demon. Tourneur, who detested horror movies and claimed that he made "supernatural films," never wanted the demon to be seen. Lead actor, Andrews, and writer, Charles Bennett, never wanted it to be featured either. It was producer, Hal E. Chester's, decision to show it. Whether or not this was the right thing to do is up for debate. However, there's no denying that this film is one of the most stylish ever made. The cinematography alone is enough to understand why Tourneur considered his films to be above the typical horror B-movie of the day. And for fans of his previous work, it comes as no surprise that NOTD was incredibly stunning to watch. The black and white noir tinged images, casting shadows across the screen, captures the ominous atmosphere perfectly. Based on M.R. James' short story, Casting the Runes, Night of the Demon is a masterpiece in occult horror. Had this been made nowadays, it would likely be described as elevated horror. As pretentious as Tourneur might have been and as much as we dislike labels, NOTD made it possible for horror movies to be more than just a dismissed genre ignored by mainstream audiences. Whether you're team demon or team no demon, it remains one of the best. #horrorsistersscaresandshares2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CjWgby4J6oi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[project1939]

100+ Films of 1952

Film number 113: Models, Inc. 

Release date: May 19th, 1952. 

Studio: Mutual, distributed by Universal 

Genre: noir 

Director: Reginald Le Borg 

Producer: Bernard W. Burton, Hal E. Chester 

Actors: Howard Duff, Colleen Gray, John Howard 

Plot Summary: A beautiful young con-artist enrolls in a modeling school to seduce its wealthy owner, but when her old boyfriend gets out of prison, he has a scheme of his own. Can she really keep her criminal past away from her new rich husband? 

My Rating (out of 5 stars): ***½  

OK, this one was fun! For a lower budget noir, this is about as good as it can get. The acting was above par, the story was interesting, and we were blessed with amazing cheesy dialogue and a thrilling ending. It’s far from a towering achievement in film, but it’s hella entertaining. I’m definitely watching it again. (Some minor spoilers) 

The Good: 

Rusty, the con-woman at the center of everything. Both her character and the actress who played her were perfect for this kind of film. First of all, Rusty is a great name for a shady woman in a noir! She’s basically morally bankrupt, but it sure is fun to watch her. 

Howard Duff as Lennie the ex who has been part of Rusty’s crimes. He recently impressed me in Steel Town, where he left me wishing he had gotten the girl in the end. Here he plays a bad guy with strength and aplomb. You love to hate him. 

John Howard was effective as John Stafford, the millionaire in the modeling industry who succumbs to Rusty’s charms. 

This was a classic sleazy crime-ridden noir in all the best ways, 

A terrifically cheesy romance montage- as Rusty and John begin dating we see them go to a horse race, then an art museum, then a classical music concert, and finally a shopping scene where John lets her pick out lots of expensive clothes. 

One of my favorite things about noirs is their tendency to have odd everyday characters randomly appear for comic relief or suspenseful delays. This one had a great scene near the end with a man in a bank and a slow customer ahead of Rusty as she's trying to flee. 

The details about the modeling school classes were a treat to watch. (Go to the bottom of this post for the details!)

The ending was Perfect! 

During a climactic shootout in an alley, we get glimpses of ads papered to the walls. As a character dodges bullets, a sign right next to him has a pouring teapot and reads, “Time for Tea,” which killed me. 

There was so much great hilariously “noir” tough-talkin' dialogue. Like- “You can’t blow into town, promise me a job modeling your crummy lingerie, and after a fast pitch slough it off as a sweet dream.” Also, “That’s right, Lennie, neither of us has changed very much. Oh, a better suit or a dress maybe, but in here where it really counts, we’re still the same kids, looking for shortcuts to the rainbow.” 

The Bad: 

There was maybe a bit too much vagueness of what actually went on with the photo taking racket Lennie starts. I know censors at the time couldn’t outright say prostitution was involved, but... 

How could John Stafford, a man who made a fortune creating models, be so stupid as to fall in love with Rusty? Her intentions seemed fairly transparent. I know love can blind a person, but you’d think he'd been around the block enough to figure it out. 

During a police car chase scene, you could clearly see that no one in either car was wearing a seatbelt. Afterall, seatbelts wouldn’t be mandatory for fourteen years! (The resources I could find said it was 1966.) It sent me into a mini-panic just watching it! 

------As a silly bonus, here’s the schedule on the chalkboard at the Stafford Modeling School: 

9:30-10:30 Poise and Personality 

10:30-10:45 Exercise 

10:45-11:30 Hairstyling 

11:30-12:45 Posture 

12:45-2:00 Makeup 

2:00-2:45 Modeling Stance 

So there’s 15 minutes of exercise, but 75 minutes for posture? 

[davidosu87]

[screamscenepodcast]

Only the most horrific nightmares lie in NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957)!

We meet our old friend and director Jacques Tourneur as he returns to horror in force alongside stars Dana Andrews, Niall MacGinnis and Peggy Cummins! Plus, what M. R. James is known for and how much of his short story "Casting the Runes" makes it into this adaptation...

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 40:07; Discussion 56:12; Ranking 1:20:37

[dasmuggler]

James F. Steranko (/stəˈræŋkoʊ/; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator.

Steranko was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and lived his early childhood during the American Great Depression. Steranko had begun drawing while very young, opening and flattening envelopes from the mail to use as sketch paper. Despite his father's denigration of Steranko's artistic talent, and the boy's ambition to become an architect, Steranko paid for his art supplies by collecting discarded soda bottles for the bottle deposit and bundled old newspapers to sell to scrap-paper dealers. He studied the Sunday comic strip art of Milton Caniff, Alex Raymond, Hal Foster, and Chester Gould, as well as the characters of Walt Disney and Superman, provided in "boxes of comics" brought to him by an uncle. Radio programs, Saturday movie matinées and serials, and other popular culture also influenced him.

Up through his early 20s, Steranko performed as an illusionist, escape artist, close-up magician in nightclubs, and musician, having played in drum and bugle corps in his teens before forming his own bands during the early days of rock and roll. By the late 1960s, Steranko was a member of a New York City magicians' group, the Witchdoctor's Club. Comics historian Mark Evanier notes that the influential comic-book creator Jack Kirby, who "based some of his characters ... on people in his life or in the news", was "inspired" to create the escape artist character Mister Miracle "by an earlier career of writer-artist Jim Steranko".

During the day, Steranko made his living as an artist for a printing company in his hometown of Reading, designing and drawing pamphlets and flyers for local dance clubs and the like. He moved on after five years to join an advertising agency, where he designed ads and drew products ranging from "baby carriages to beer cans". He initially entered the comics industry in 1957, not long out of high school, working for a short time inking pencil art by Vince Colletta and Matt Baker in Colletta's New York City studio before returning to Reading. In 1966, he landed assignments at Harvey Comics, under editor Joe Simon. His first published comics art came in Spyman #1 (Sept. 1966), for which he wrote the 20-page story "The Birth of a Hero" and penciled the first page, which included a diagram of a robotic hand that was reprinted as an inset on artist George Tuska's cover.

Steranko also approached Marvel Comics in 1966. He met with editor Stan Lee, who had Steranko ink a two-page Jack Kirby sample of typical art for the superspy feature "Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.". Steranko self-published it in 1970 in the limited-edition "Steranko Portfolio One"; it appeared again 30 years later in slightly altered form in the 2000 trade-paperback collection Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. This led to Lee's assigning him the Nick Fury feature in Strange Tales, a "split book" that shared each issue with another feature. Future Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, then a staff writer, recalled,

"[H]e came up to the office ... and I was sent out by Sol [Brodsky] to look at his work and basically brush him off. Stan was busy and didn't want to be bothered that day. But when I saw Jim's work, ... on an impulse I took it in to Sol and said, 'I think Stan should see this'. Sol agreed, and took it in to Stan. Stan brought Steranko into his office, and Jim left with the 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' assignment. ... I think Jim's legacy to Marvel was demonstrating that there were ways in which the Kirby style could be mutated, and many artists went off increasingly in their own directions after that."

Lee and Kirby had initiated the 12-page "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965), with Kirby supplying such inventive and enduring gadgets and hardware as the Helicarrier – an airborne aircraft carrier – as well as LMDs (Life Model Decoys) and even automobile airbags. Marvel's all-purpose terrorist organization Hydra was introduced here as well.

Steranko began his stint on the feature by penciling and inking "finishes" over Kirby layouts in Strange Tales #151 (Dec. 1966), just as many fellow new Marvel artists did at the time. Two issues later, Steranko took over full penciling and also began drawing the every-other-issue "Nick Fury" cover art. Then, in a rarity for comics artists of the era, he took over the series' writing with #155 (April 1967), following Roy Thomas, who had succeeded Lee. In another break with custom, he himself, rather than a Marvel staff artist, had become the series' uncredited colorist by that issue.

Steranko absorbed, adapted and built upon the groundbreaking work of Jack Kirby, both in the use of photomontage (particularly for cityscapes), and in the use of full- and double-page-spreads. Indeed, in Strange Tales #167 (Jan. 1968), Steranko created comics' first four-page spread, upon which panorama he or editor Lee bombastically noted, "to get the full effect, of course, requires a second ish [copy of the issue] placed side-by-side, but we think you'll find it to be well worth the price to have the wildest action scene ever in the history of comics!" All the while, Steranko spun outlandishly action-filled plots of intrigue, barely sublimated sensuality, and a cool-jazz hi-fi hipness.

Fury's adventures continued in his own series, for which Steranko contributed four 20-page stories: "Who is Scorpio?" (issue #1); "So Shall Ye Reap ... Death" (#2), inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest; "Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound Kill" (#3), a Hound of the Baskervilles homage, replete with a Peter Cushing manqué; and the spy-fi sequel "What Ever Happened to Scorpio?" (#5). Steranko also had short runs on X-Men (#50–51, Nov.–Dec. 1968), for which he designed a new cover logo, and Captain America (#110–111, 113, Feb.–March, May 1969). Steranko introduced the Madame Hydra character in his brief Captain America run. With no new work immediately forthcoming, a "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins" fan page in spring 1969 announced that, "In case you've been wondering what happened to Jaunty Jim Steranko, ... [he] is working on a brand-new feature, which will shortly be spotlighted in Marvel Super-Heroes. And talk about a secret – he hasn't even told us what it is!" The referred-to project never appeared.

Steranko went on to write and draw a horror story that precipitated a breakup with Marvel. Though that seven-page tale, "At the Stroke of Midnight", published in Tower of Shadows #1 (Sept. 1969), would win a 1969 Alley Award, editor Lee, who had already rejected Steranko's cover for that issue, clashed with Steranko over panel design, dialog, and the story title, initially "The Lurking Fear at Shadow House".

Steranko returned briefly to Marvel, contributing a romance story ("My Heart Broke in Hollywood", Our Love Story #5, Feb. 1970) and becoming the cover artist for 15 comics beginning with Doc Savage #2–3, Shanna the She-Devil #1–2, and Supernatural Thrillers #1–2 (each successively cover-dated Dec. 1972 and Feb. 1973), and ending with the reprint comic Nick Fury and his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (April 1973).

In 1973, Steranko became founding editor of Marvel's official fan magazine, FOOM, which superseded the two previous official fan clubs, the Merry Marvel Marching Society and Marvelmania. Steranko served as editor and also produced the covers for the magazine's inaugural four issues before being succeeded editorially by Tony Isabella.

Steranko then branched into other areas of publishing, including most notably book-cover illustration. For the movie industry, Steranko has done sketches for movie posters, and was a conceptual artist on Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), doing production designs for the film and designing the character of Indiana Jones. He also served in a similar capacity as "project conceptualist" on Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).

#marvel #art #artist #jimsteranko #comicbooks #marvelcomics #nickfury #AgentsofSHIELD #shield #popculture #foom #marveluniverse #thehulk #theincrediblehulk #captainamerica #hydra #marvel89 #horror #scifi #xmen #stanlee #jackkirby #roythomas #marvel6189 #indianajones #raidersofthelostark #mcu #Dracula

[schlock-luster-video]

On November 9, 1957 Curse of the Demon debuted in Birmingham, England.

Here's some new Peggy Cummin art to celebrate!

[djohnhopper]

FAVOURITE FILMS:

Title: Night of the Demon (1957).

Director: Jacques Tourneur.

Story by: M. R. James.

Screenplay: Hal E. Chester, Charles Bennett, Cy Endfield.

Cast: Dana Andrews, Niall MacGinnis, Peggy Cummins, Maurice Denham, Athene Seyler...

Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) travels to London to attend a paranormal psychology conference to expose devil cult leader, Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis). A turn of events change Holden's perception.

[funkyrights]

Mostly just making this blog as a hub for tumblr where we can link to everyone’s personal accounts and all that!

This post will be updated if/as anyone else makes their personal spaces.

Main Instagram: @/thewitchforeverlives no age restriction as it’s a general account for everyone to share

System Twitter: @/GRRBARKBARKSYS

Main blog: @thewitchforeverlives

Evan & Mark Hansens' blog: +18 only @evanistotallyokay

Shane Oman’s blog: +18 only @goodomans

Rich Goranski’s blog: +18 only @fieryblip

Ben’s blog: @chlorinebreath

Melchior Gabor’s blog: @famishedsaint

FAHC Michael's blog: @litdynamite

H. Chandler's blog: @blacklightchandler

Casey Becker's blog: @daisychainpoet

Annabeth Chase's blog: @wisegirlsuperiority

Ethan Nakamura's blog: +18 only @violenceofdevotion 

Ryan Torres’ blog: @torresofterror

Win's blog: +18 only @ironicallylosing

Nick's blog: @king0fsunnyvale

Alex Chen's blog: @fosterhomedropout

DMs are open!

Emoji Key under the cut:

Nicolas Goode: 🦬

Annabeth Chase: 🧢

Clarisse La Rue: ⚔

C. Beckendorf: 🛠

Thalia Grace: 🌩

Nico di Angelo: ☠

Teddy McLean: 💌

Frank Zhang: 🏹

Travis Stoll: 🧨

Ethan Nakamura: 🗡

Leo Valdez 🔨

Apollo/Lester Papadopoulos: ☀️

Artemis: 🌙

Mr.Blofis: 🐡

Rich Goranski: 🔥

Jake Dillinger: 🏆

Evan Hansen: 🌳

Cynthia Murphy: 🧺

Shane Oman/Khidros: 🍓

Tavros Nitram: 🐮

Sollux Captor: 🍯

Kanaya Maryam: 🐛

Lil Hal: 🤖

Elle Woods: 💖

Agent Washington: ⭐

FAHC Michael: 💣

Victor "Russ" Russel: 🎥

Casey Becker: 🌼

H. Chandler: 🥀

Hannah Washington: 🦋

Bolin: 🍜

Nigel Bumble: 🐝

Ricky: 🎄

Jack Kelly: 📰

Melchior Gabor: 🖋

Ryuji Sakamoto: 💀

Ben: 🦦

Peter Pevensie: 🦁

Peter Parker: 🕷

Branch: 🌿

Mabel Pines: 🌈

Ren Matthews: 🎸

Casey Hartley: 🥁

Will Gorski: 🚓

Steve Harrington: 🍦

Bill Denbrough: 📖

James Sullivan: 📚

River Barkley: 🎹

Jacques Snicket: 🚕

Noah Turner: 🎃

Mark E. Hansen: 🌲

Adrien Agreste: 🐾

Nathan Drake: 🗝

Eurydice: 🌹

Moana: 🥥

Kenai: 🐻

Bucky Barnes: 🦾

Wendy Christensen: 📸

asxdefter: 🎮

Yang Xiao Long: 🐲

Dodger: 🐱

Jesse Cox: 🕹

Legion: 🔦

Sonny: 🚬

Jason "JD" Dean: 🔫

Mogar: 💎

Mad King: 👑

Sonny de la Vega: 🎆

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Pallas: 🪶

Manolo Sanchez: 🕯

Edd Gould: 🥤

Asterius: 🔗

Megaera: ⛓

Hermes: ⚕

Ares: 🛡

Hades: 🪦

Simon Kalivoda: ��

Kate Schmidt: 📣

Samantha Fraser: 📟

Cindy Berman: 👚

Tommy Slater: 🪓

Sarah Fier: 🐷

Ryan Torres: 🔪

C. Berman: 🪣

Jacket: 🐔

Maverick: 🎱

Akihiko Sanada: 🥊

Win: 🫀

Applejack: 🍎

Pipp: 🎠

Carlos Garcia: 🎶

BENdrowned: 🩸

Mashirao Ojiro: 🥋

Alice Hale: 💘

Kenya Kobayashi: 🎞

Juliet O'Hara: ⚖

Izuku Midoriya: 🐰

Yoon Ji-su: 🎧

Lee Eun-Hyuk: 👓

Chester: 🪴

Bumblebee: 📻

Carter Davis: 🧁

David: 🐯

Fred Jones: 🪤

Gwen Grayson: 🃏

Zach Braun: 🔋

Nell Oman: ♠️

Nemo: ♥️

Ilse Neumann: 💜

Luke Isaac Castellan: 🤞

Burgess Sawyer: 🐗

Tubbo: 🐐

Eric Arthur Leone: 🐀

Lenny: 🐬

King Shark: 🦈

Percy "JJ" Jackson: 🌀

Leon S. Kennedy: 🕸

Marshall Lee: 🍟

Hawke: 🦅

Bethany Hawke: ⛅

August "Auggie" Hildebrandt: 🥘

Finley: 🦪

Dewey Riley: 🍩

Mr. Peanutbutter: 🥏

Nikki: 🍬

Jasper: 👻

Ray Narvaez Jr: 🎂

Achilles: ⚱

Lara Croft: 🧭

Jase Voorhees: 🏕

Eva: 🥇

Karina Jacowitz: 🥍

Shitty: 🏒

Kent Parsons: 🥅

Benji Applebaum: 🪄

Bumper Allen: 🎤

Agent 17: 🪙

》 Gav: 🪙🗡

》 Ry: 🪙🔫

Miles Wingrave: 🕰

》 Peter Quint: 🕰⌚

Jean Havoc: 💥

》 Lust: 💥💋

Josh Sauchak: 🔑

Mendel Weisenbachfeld: 📋

Frenchie: 💊

Annie January: 🌟

Jay Corduroy: 💸

Dallas Margolin: 🦌

Boffy: ⛏

Benvolio: 🏳

Brandy Barr: 🔎

Davy Zlatic: 🎻

Ered Miller: 💔

Joey Tribbiani: 🎬

Jesse Tuck: 💧

Filbo: 🍊

Garfield Logan: 🦖

Jack Hodgins: 🦴

Jake Long: 🐉

Takashi Shirogane: 🌠

Allura: 🌌

Hunk Garrett: 🍱

HUNK: 🛢

Jerry: 🚭

Julien Solomita: 💿

Jude Lizowski: 🍋

Johanna Mason: 🪵

Katie Mitchell: 📹

Kevin Moskowitz: 🐋

Noah Garrett: 🏍

Sarah Avery: 🏔

Oz: 🔴

Launchpad McQuack: ✈

Robin Hood: 🦊

Ryan Phan: 💻

Michael J. Caboose: 🔷️

Nelson Muntz: 🏈

Winston: 🦍

Shane Madej: 🌭

Ram Sweeney: 🍻

Skipp: 🍂

Tré: 🎺

Foxy: 🍕

Sunset Shimmer: ☄

Henry Griffin: 📿

Ace Torrington: ⏳

Xavier Delsin: 🍒

Shiloh: 🍑

Price/Prep: 🤍

Blake/Jock: 💙

Baron von Gikkingen: 🎩

Aiden Grant: 🥈

Steve: 🧱

Jesse B. Schmidt: 🐖

Dust: 🔮

Herobrine: ⚠️

Tim Drake: 🩹

Dick Grayson: 🎪

Jason Todd: 🛑

Conner Kent: 🕶

Poison Ivy: ⚘

Phase: ⚛

Ani: 🧋

Horace: 🔱

Paul Munsky: ⚾️

Sapnap/Nicky: 🏮

Louis: 🙂

Trace: ⚜

Trevor Sterling: 💼

Atsuko Kagari: 🐇

Amanda O'Neill: 🧹

Brad Hamilton: 🍏

Hans: ❄

Bug: 🐞

Petey: 🚀

Lyra: 💫

Louis: 🎭

Legoshi: 🐺

Jack: 🌻

Riz: 🍅

Pina: 🐏

Brett Hand: 🧃

Susie Carter: 📏

Nea Karlsson: No emoji yet

Mac Loudon: 💐

Evander "Crash" Kostas: 🍍

Alex Chen: 💭

[blackkudos]

Robert Hooks

Robert Hooks (born Bobby Dean Hooks, April 18, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and activist. He is most recognizable to the public for his more than 100 roles in films, television, and stage. Most famously, Hooks, along with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone, founded The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The NEC is credited with the launch of the careers of many major black artists of all disciplines, while creating a body of performance literature over the last thirty years, providing the backbone of African-American theatrical classics. Additionally, Hooks is the sole founder of two significant black theatre companies: the D.C. Black Repertory Company, and New York's Group Theatre Workshop.

Biography

Early life

The youngest of five children, Hooks was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C. to Mae Bertha (née Ward), a seamstress, and Edward Hooks who had moved from Rocky Mount, North Carolina with their four other children, Bernice, Caroleigh, Charles Edward "Charlie", and James Walter "Jimmy". Named Bobby Dean Hooks at birth, Robert was their first child born "up-north" and the first to be born in a hospital. His father, Edward, died in a work accident on the railroad in 1939.

Hooks attended Stevens Elementary School. In 1945, at the insistence of his sister Bernice who was doing community arts outreach for youngsters at Francis Junior High School, he performed the lead in his first play, The Pirates of Penzance, at the age of nine. From the ages of 6 to 12, Bobby Dean journeyed with his siblings to Lucama, North Carolina to work the tobacco fields for his uncle's sharecropping farm as a way to help earn money for the coming school year in D.C.

In 1954, just as Brown vs. Board of Education was being implemented in the north, he moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, her second husband, and his half-sister, Safia Abdullah (née Sharon Dickerson). Hooks experienced his first integrated school experience at West Philadelphia High School. Hooks soon joined the drama club and began acting in plays by William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. He was graduated in 1956, passing on a scholarship to Temple University in order to pursue a career as a stage actor at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Theatre (alongside Charles Dierkop and Bruce Dern, with whom he second-acted plays doing their pre-Broadway tryouts in Philadelphia) while working at Browning King, a men's tailor shop at Fourteenth and Chestnut streets.

Career

Having trained at the Bessie V. Smith School of Theatre in Philadelphia, and after seeing A Raisin in the Sun in its Philadelphia tryout in February 1959, Hooks moved to New York to pursue acting. In April 1960, as Bobby Dean Hooks, he made his Broadway debut in A Raisin in the Sun replacing Louis Gossett, Jr. who would be doing the film version. He then continued to do its national tour. He then stepped into the Broadway production of A Taste of Honey, replacing Billy Dee Williams; then repeating the same national tour trajectory as he had done for "Raisin..." the previous year. In early 1962 he next appeared as the lead in Jean Genet's The Blacks, replacing James Earl Jones as the male lead, leaving briefly that same year to appear on Broadway again in Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright before stepping back into the lead role in The Blacks in 1963. He then returned to Broadway, first in Ballad for Bimshire and then in the short-lived 1964 David Merrick revival of The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More (as a character created by Tennessee Williams for this revival) and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Tab Hunter in his only stage performance. Immediately thereafter, in March 24, 1964 he originated the role of Clay in Amiri Baraka's Dutchman. With this play, on the advice of Roscoe Lee Brown, Hooks became known as, Robert Hooks. He also originated roles on the New York stage in Where's Daddy? for which he won the Theatre World Award and he was nominated for Best Male Lead in a Musical for Hallelujah Baby while he was simultaneously starring in David Susskind's N.Y.P.D.—the first African American lead on a television drama.

In 1968 Hooks was the host of the new public affairs television program, Like It Is.

Hooks was nominated for a Tony for his lead role in the musical, Hallelujah, Baby!, has received both the Pioneer Award and the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, and has been inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. He also won an Emmy for his PBS special, Voices of Our People.

Significant roles for which Hooks is known include Reeve Scott in Hurry Sundown (1967), Mr. T. in the blaxploitation film Trouble Man (1972), grandpa Gene Donovan in the comedy Seventeen Again (2000), and Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also appeared on television in an episode of the NBC crime drama series The Eddie Capra Mysteries in 1978 and portrayed Doctor Walcott in the 1980s television series Dynasty.

Activism

Arts and Culture

In 1964, as a result of a speaking engagement at the Chelsea Civil Rights Committee (then connected to the Hudson Guild Settlement House) he founded The Group Theatre Workshop (GTW), a tuition-free environment for disadvantaged urban teens who expressed a desire to explore acting. Among the instructors were Barbara Ann Teer, Frances Foster, Hal DeWindt, Lonne Elder III, and Ronnie Mack. Alumni include Antonio Fargas, Hattie Winston, and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

The Group Theatre Workshop was folded into the tuition-free training arm of the The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) founded in 1967 with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone with a $1.3 million grant from the Ford Foundation under the auspices of W. McNeil Lowry.

From 1969-1972, Hooks served as an original board member of Black Academy of Arts and Letters (BAAL) (located in New York) alongside C. Eric Lincoln, President; John O. Killens, Alvin F. Poussaint, and Charles White. Chartered by the State of New York, BAAL's mission was to bring together Black artists and scholars from around the world. Additional members included: Julian Adderley, Alvin Ailey, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Imamu Baraka, Romare Bearden, Harry Belafonte, Lerone Bennett, Arna Bontemps, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee Davis, St. Clair Drake, Ernest Dunbar, Katherine Dunham, Lonne Elder III, Duke Ellington, Alex Haley, Ruth Inge Hardison, Vertis Hayes, Chester Himes, Lena Horne, Jacob Lawrence, Elma Lewis, Henry Lewis, Paule Marshall, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, Frederick O’Neal, Gordon Parks, Sidney Poitier, Benjamin Quarles, Lloyd Richards, Lucille D. Roberts, and Nina Simone.

In response to the violence in his home town of Washington, D.C. in the wake of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, and aided by a small grant from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, Hooks took a leave of absence from the Negro Ensemble Company to create The D.C. Black Repertory Company (DCBRC, 1970-1981). As Founder and Executive Director, the DCBRC was intended as a further exploration of the ability of the arts to create healing. The a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock was created and developed within its workshop process.

The Inner Voices (Lorton Prison arts training program, 1971) proved to be a result of the beneficial effect of the DCBRC in the D.C. area. In response to a direct plea from an inmate, Rhozier "Roach" Brown, who was serving a life sentence in Lorton, Hooks' D.C. Black Repertory Company structured the first prison-based arts program in the United States. While it is the norm now, it was then a revolutionary attempt at rehabilitation through the arts. Eventually The Inner Voices performed more than 500 times in other prisons, including a Christmas special entitled, "Holidays, Hollowdays." Due to Roach's work, President Gerald Ford commuted his sentence on Christmas Day, 1975.

His relocation to the West Coast redirected Hooks' approach to parity in the arts with his involvement with The Bay Area Multicultural Arts Initiative (1988) as a board member and grant facilitator-judge. Funded by monies from a unique coalition made up of the San Francisco Foundation (a community foundation); Grants for the Arts of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, and The National Endowment for the Arts, the function of this organization was the funding of deserving local multicultural arts organizations.

In 1992, Hooks co-founded (with writer Lonne Elder III) Arts in Action. Located in South Central Los Angeles, this was a film and television training center established to guide individuals who aspired to careers in film production. It formulated strategies and training for securing entry-level jobs. Courses included: career development workshops; pre-production and production for film and television; creative problem solving in production management; directing for stage and screen—principles and practices; also the craft of assistant directors, script supervisor, technicians, wardrobe, make-up, etc.

The Negro Ensemble Company of Los Angeles (NEC-LA) (1994-1997) was created because so many New York members and original members had relocated to the west coast. Hooks, as founder and executive director enlisted alumni from his New York Negro Ensemble Company to serve as board members: Denise Nicholas, Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson. NEC-LA's goal was to be a new and innovative multi-ethnic cultural project that strived to achieve the community effectiveness and professional success of its parent organization.

Personal life

Hooks is the father of actor, television and film director Kevin Hooks. He married Lorrie Gay Marlow (actress, author, artist) on June 15, 2008. Previously, he was married to Yvonne Hickman and Rosie Lee Hooks.

Awards

1966 - Theatre World Award (1965–66 ) for "Where's Daddy?" (The Billy Rose Theatre)

1979 - American Black Achievement Award - Ebony Magazine

1982 - Emmy Award for Producing (1982) Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry (KCET-TV/PBS)

1966 - Tony Nomination, Lead Role in a Musical for Hallelujah, Baby

1985 - Inducted into The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, recipient Oscar Micheaux Award (1985)

1986 - March 2nd declared Robert Hooks Day by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley

1987 - Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities from CEBA (Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities)

2000 - Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa honorary degree, Bowie State University

2000 - May 25th declared Robert Hooks Day in Washington, D.C.

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Trailblazer Award to the Negro Ensemble Company

2005 - Trailblazer Award – City of Los Angeles

2006 - The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), Lifetime Achievement Award (Dallas)

2007 - The Black Theatre Alliance Awards / Lifetime Achievement Award

2015 - Living Legend Award (2015) National Black Theatre Festival

2018 - October 18th proclaimed Robert Hooks Day by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.

2018 - Hooks is entered into The Congressional Record by the Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, September 4, 2018, Vol. 164

2018 - Visionary Founder and Creator Award - D.C. Black Repertory Company on its 47th anniversary

Acting Credits

Film

Sweet Love, Bitter (1967) .... Keel Robinson

Hurry Sundown (1967) .... Reeve Scott

Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) .... Chicken

Carter's Army (1970) .... Lt. Edward Wallace

Trouble Man (1972) .... Mr. T

Aaron Loves Angela (1975) .... Beau

Airport '77 (1977) .... Eddie

Fast-Walking (1982) .... William Galliot

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) .... Admiral Morrow

Passenger 57 (1992) .... Dwight Henderson

Posse (1993) .... King David

Fled (1996) .... Lt. Clark

[quasar1967]

Night Of The Demon (1957)

Night of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film, produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis, directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. It is adapted from the M. R. James story "Casting the Runes".

The film's storyline concerns an American psychologist who travels to England to investigate a satanic cult suspected in more than one death.

The production was turbulent due to artistic differences that arose between producer Hal E. Chester on one side, and director Tourneur and writer Charles Bennett on the other. Chester's plan was to show the demon on screen, but Bennett, the director and lead actor Dana Andrews objected. To accelerate the pace and make the film more commercial, the 96-minute original feature was trimmed down to 82 minutes prior to its release in the United States. This shortened version was retitled Curse of the Demon, playing in June 1958 as the second half of a double feature with either The True Story of Lynn Stuart or The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), depending on the local film market.

[briamichellewrites]

99

Yes, Spanish was the primary language of Costa Rica, though there were other less common languages spoken. Brad pointed out that they probably also spoke English, especially considering the number of tourists. They could learn some common phrases in Spanish just in case. Where’s the bathroom, yes, no, please, and thank you? No in Spanish was no. That was easy to remember. No, gracias or sí por favor for no, thank you and yes, please.

¿Dónde está el baño? That was the phrase to ask for the bathroom. Joe asked what they were doing, so Rob told him. oegug-e ganeunde eon-eoleul hal jul moleuseyo? They looked at him confused. Was that Korean? Yes. What did he say? He laughed then repeated the phrase in English. Yes, yes, they were. He laughed again.

They were all hanging out in their suite with their tour crew. Hong Kong was right outside their window. They had to stay inside because they couldn’t leave without their bodyguard. That allowed them to relax before having to go to the venue the next day. It had been a very long flight, almost eighteen straight hours and their bodies were adjusting to the time difference. Chester, Rob, and Joe had taken a nap during the flight but neither Brad nor Phoenix could sleep, so they continued talking.

Phoenix had no idea about his relationship with Jayde was. She was not wanting to be in a relationship because she wanted to see other guys without worrying about cheating. What was he wanting? He wanted a girlfriend who was loyal to him and only him. That was more than fair. He just wanted to have a relationship with her? Yeah. He selfishly didn’t want her to be with other guys.

But she was too independent. She was going to do what she wanted. At the same time, she was always going to come back to him. Rob asked how many guys she had. He didn’t know for sure. All he knew was him. She had mentioned one of them having a girlfriend. He thought it was Kevin. She needed to find someone close to her age, who could handle her mental health issues. Brad and Rob agreed. They were not going to be around forever and they wanted to make sure she was going to be ok.

Jayde was busy going to different meetings and photo shoots. Nobody knew where she was because she was all over. With Kevin having a girlfriend and Mike in sober living, she couldn’t hook up with them. Johnny invited her over since Jerry was in England on vacation, or as he called a holiday. Yeah! She would be over right after her meeting.

The meeting was one she was looking forward to because her team at Sephora had been working hard on different products. They had samples they wanted to get her opinions on. Eyeliner, eye shadow, blush, highlighter. She gave constructive feedback about what she liked and didn’t like. Everything was written down, so they could remember what she had said. They appreciated her telling them her opinions while being respectful and appreciative of what they were doing.

Her biggest goal was to produce makeup for every skin type that was ethically made. Like her clothing line, she didn’t want anything to be made by anyone who wasn’t being paid a fair wage. That was in every contract. It wasn’t about her reputation but about her caring for people. She was in a position where she could make those decisions.

Hey, I’m done with my meeting. I’m on my way over. – Jayde

Johnny was thrilled to see her. With Jerry being gone, he stayed home because he didn’t like going out in public with the paparazzi. He was a very private person and he hated attention. Some of the public speculated on him having Social Anxiety Disorder, due to him always looking very uncomfortable at public events. Jerry wanted him to talk to a professional to be evaluated. When he got back, they would talk about that more.

His kids went back and forth between LA and Paris, where his ex-girlfriend lived. He missed them and he felt even more alone without them. When Jayde got there, he kissed her on her cheek before inviting her in. The best thing about Jayde? He never got the feeling that she would go to the media about him and she wasn’t using him for his money or to advance her career. She was a genuine person and he appreciated that.

After three hours of sex, they both were sweaty and exhausted. It was the longest he had gone with almost anyone and he was in awe of her ability to keep going. He pulled the covers over their naked bodies before turning to her. What was she thinking?

“Let’s run away together.”

He laughed. “I would love to, doll. Unfortunately, we can’t.”

“I know. I just thought it was a good idea.”

He laughed.

The guys were enjoying dinner while in their suite. Vegan for Rob and Brad, of course, while Phoenix, Chester, and Joe got authentic Hong Kong food. It was all very good. As they ate, they joked around like brothers while checking social media and messages. Jayde had texted Phoenix to let him know that she was with Johnny. He knew that she was most likely sleeping, but he figured she would text him when she woke up. Were they hooking up or were they dating?

She replied that they were hooking up but Johnny had asked her to be his girlfriend. What did she say? She told him yes. Was that okay? She knew that they were friends with benefits and he had talked about getting a girlfriend. Because of her BPD and anxiety, she wanted to know for sure.

Thank you for thinking about me. You are adorable. I want you to be happy. I promise I will be ok. Congratulations! – Phoenix

“So, Jayde just texted me.”

“Did she burn Elton’s house down”, Joe asked.

“Johnny Depp asked her to be his girlfriend and she said yes.”

“How the fuck did that happen”, Chester asked.

They did not want to know how she met him! Actually, they did. They were very curious! Whether they were hooking up, they did not want to know that! He was older than all of them and a very famous movie star! They hoped he would treat her right and didn’t break her heart. What time was it in LA? It was nine. He decided to call her and ask.

She burst into laughter as she and Johnny took the call on speakerphone. How did this happen? She told him about meeting him at a party in Las Vegas. Was that all she was going to tell him? Yes. Ok, that was all he wanted to know. Where were they?

After finishing the call, they hung up. He then told the guys what she had told him. They agreed that they didn’t want to know! She sounded very happy, so they were happy for her. Yes, it was very weird but she was anything but conventional. They decided to let the relationship happen, though they would be there ready for when or if he broke her heart.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @jovichic-bonjovi4ever @borhap-au @beneathashadytree @duffs-shot-glass @geo-winchester